


Becoming a Cat 101: Intro to Matchmaking

by dustkeeper



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: College au (sort of), Cor is a cat, Ignoct White Day Gift Exchange 2018, M/M, Noct and Iggy are dorky humans, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-31 09:04:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13971771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dustkeeper/pseuds/dustkeeper
Summary: Cor Leonis had been Marshal of the Crownsguard, the youngest ever recruit to join said Crownsguard, and a warrior infamous enough to be dubbed "the Immortal." He'd been a respected friend and comrade to King Regis Lucis Caelum himself, and had served three kings of Lucis in his life.He was also a ten week-old brown and white ragamuffin kitten who rode in the reincarnated King Noctis Lucis Caelum's backpack.Or, how Cor went from being Noctis' Marshal to his reluctant Matchmaker.





	Becoming a Cat 101: Intro to Matchmaking

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tinytobio](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinytobio/gifts).



> Hello, @_tobio from Twitter! I'm your White Day Gift Giver! First of all, thank you so much for providing such an amazing list of ideas. There were so many different ideas that came from it, including one in which I made the mistake of trying to tie them all together. I ended up with two gifts, though, so expect another oneshot on the way by the 21st! I just wanted to make sure you got something early on so you didn't have to wait too long.
> 
> You had the prompts of Noctis and Ignis adopting a stray cat in secret and reincarnation in your list, and somehow it ended up with reincarnated Noctis and Ignis adopting Cor the Cat. It may not have been exactly what you had in mind, but I really hope you enjoy this!!

                Cor Leonis had been Marshal of the Crownsguard, the youngest ever recruit to join said Crownsguard, and a warrior infamous enough to be dubbed "the Immortal." He'd been a respected friend and comrade to King Regis Lucis Caelum himself, and had served three kings of Lucis in his life.

                He was also a ten week-old brown and white ragamuffin kitten who rode in the reincarnated King Noctis Lucis Caelum's backpack.

                When he'd prayed to have less stress and responsibility in his next life, this wasn't exactly what he had in mind. In fact, he suspected Regis and Clarus were somehow behind this, cackling from whatever life they were in now. Still, after serving the Caelum line for more than sixty years, he wasn't going to stop just because he turned into a cat. If Gilgamesh hadn't been able to stop him, these clumsy kitten legs certainly wouldn't. The former prince had been notorious for his love of animals, anyway, so he would be well cared for as a pet.

                Not that he _was_ a pet. He was more like a smaller, fluffier Shield for the prince until Gladio showed up. Someone had to look out for the brat in this strange new world they'd been dropped into. There was no more magic from the Crystal, and this Noctis looked like he wouldn't win in a fight against one of Iris' moogle dolls, let alone any thug or thief prowling the college campus they lived on. It didn't help that he lived purely on 99 gil Cup Noodle and, when he was feeling fancier, some 199 gil brand of pre-packaged pot pie that he meticulously picked carrots out of. In fact, Noctis seemed to spend _more_ money on Cor's cat food than anything else, and Cor was technically not supposed to be living with him.

                Pets weren't allowed in Insomnia University's dorm rooms. They could only live in this arrangement because Noct's roommate started commuting due to a family health emergency, so the former prince was living by himself, while constantly in fear of a transfer student suddenly being dropped in the other bed. He wasn't even sure if the school knew his roommate, Tredd, wasn't living there anymore, but he wasn't going to jeopardize his newfound privacy by drawing attention to himself.

                He'd told Cor as much, at least, in one of his one-sided ramblings to the cat.

                "But don't worry, buddy," Noctis said, scratching him behind the ear. "I won't abandon you. Even if I do get caught, we'll think of something."

                It was odd to hear the prince he'd known from the other side of a human stomach to call him "buddy," especially since Cor had been one of the sources of discipline for Regis's kid since pre-school, but it wasn't like he was in a position to object. He also wasn't in the position to be tortured into admitting that Noctis's ear scratches felt amazing.

                Since Cor had all but assaulted him whenever he tried to leave his room without his new cat, Noctis had taken to holding his backpack open for Cor to jump into before they left for a day full of classes. For the most part, Cor hid himself entirely in the shadow of the mostly-zipped bag, unseen by other students and faculty. Sometimes, he'd poke his little head out when he smelled human food he thought Noctis might share with him, or when Prompto's voice greeted his best friend of two lifetimes. Prompto loved animals just as much as Noct did, and there was no way he'd ever snitch to their RA about Cor living there. Plus, Cor always had a bit of a soft spot for the gunslinger.

                For a month or so, this routine worked. As much as he hated the lack of freedom, communication, and opposable thumbs that came with being a furball, Cor genuinely appreciated the peaceful life he found. Aside from reminding Noctis to complete coursework (which typically meant sitting on his cell phone or dragging the bag over to him by the teeth) or to clean his litter box, he had no responsibilities. He'd station himself by the window, instincts telling him to never let his guard down when protecting royalty, but there was little suspicious activity in the Insomnia University residential area. Some students would be a bit noisy, but there was little he could do about that even if he tried. He'd spent enough energy disciplining unruly recruits in his previous life.

                So, aside from the occasional bird or bug he'd pretend to chase for training purposes, his life was relatively uneventful. The lectures he listened into from Noct's bag were mundane, the sun suitable for long naps, and he had yet to find any other recognizable face than the prince and his best friend.

                Then one day, when Noct was walking to class, he had this gut feeling. It was like a sixth sense, whether from being a cat or a soldier he didn't know. But it told him to peek out the zipper just as a familiar face walked the opposite direction across the courtyard.

                Noctis must not have seen the face, or not have recognized him if he did. Letting out a very pointed meow, he leapt out of the backpack and scampered down the boy's back, the recoil making the kid stumble a bit on the path.

                "Cor? Hey!"

                Though he was in a smaller and non-human body, he managed to land on his feet, either by animal instinct or some training that carried over from his previous life. Cor counted on the assumption that Noctis had turned to chase after him as he bounded up to the taller man and dug his little claws into his perfectly-ironed pants leg. The man let out an embarrassingly high-pitched yelp, obviously not expecting a small animal to pounce on him from behind, but it successfully kept him from walking any further away. It also stunned him long enough for Cor to climb his way up to his shoulder; he tried to call Ignis's name, but all that came out was a pitiful mew.

                "Cor! Shit," he heard Noctis say from a distance, followed by haste footsteps.

                Gingerly, the bespectacled man he'd jumped on took him from his shoulder, steadying him in his arms. "Oh my," he said, accent the same as it always had been. He was just as composed as he'd ever been, actually, despite a strange animal basically attacking him. "You're a friendly fellow, aren't you?"

                "Hey! Sorry, that's my  ̶ "

                The man turned to face Noctis and time froze. It was like they were in one of those cheesy soap operas Dustin used to make him and Monica watch: Noctis stopped mid-apology, mouth hanging open in a decidedly un-princely like manner. Ignis gaped back, looking as though he had seen someone he'd long presumed to be dead. Had they recognized each other immediately? Noctis didn't seem to recall Prompto from their previous life, but maybe it'd be different with Ignis. Their relationship had been special from the early age they'd met, sharing a devotion most three and six year-olds were too small to carry. (That, and he and Clarus had a bet going through their teenage years on just how _special_ their relationship would turn out to be, though they never found any closure on that one.)

                The stunned silence had gone on too long to be considered normal, even if he and Clarus had been right about how attracted they were to each other. Normally, Cor would nudge his prince-turned-king-turned-pet-owner into acting first, as the line of Lucis should hold themselves with dignity and pride. His little arm couldn't reach all the way over, though, so he booped Ignis on the nose with his pink toes instead.

                "O-oh." Ignis laughed a little, breathy like he'd narrowly escaped a battle with a behemoth with all bones intact. "I… I beg your pardon, is this yours?"

                "Yeah," Noctis said. His smile lit up his eyes: Cor wasn't sure if it was because he recognized his old advisor or because his paw was still on the cross-eyed man's nose. "Sorry. He… usually doesn't do this."

                "No harm done. He climbed up a cat person." Ignis handed Cor back to Noctis, their fingers lingering just a bit too long, and the cat perched himself on his human's shoulder. "I had no idea that cats were allowed on the premises."

                "He's a special case," Noctis clarified, a tad nervous from harboring a fugitive pet or talking to Ignis or, most likely, a little of both. "Therapy cat."

                "Therapy cat?" Ignis echoed, amused.

                Noctis reached up to pet Cor's little head, but didn't take his eyes off Ignis. "Yeah, he binge watches Cleigne Cook-off with me and listens to me vent about my problems."

                Ignis chuckled. "Well, your secret is safe with me," Ignis vowed, a twinkle in his green eyes. "I'll be sure not to let it slip that you watch Cleigne Cook-off."

                "What? You got something against reality cooking shows?"

                "Only the ones poor in quality," he said. "Everyone knows Ifrit's Kitchen is far superior."

                The younger student huffed, but he didn't look offended at all. In fact, he looked happier than Cor had ever seen him in this life. "Oh, yeah? That's not what Cor thinks." At Ignis' blank response, he added, "Cor. Cor Meownis. That's this little guy's name."

                "Named after the Marshal Cor Leonis from the Dawn Period?"

                Noctis looked a little sheepish. "I found him after my Lucian History class. Also, he looks like a Cor, you know?"

                Ignis appraised the ragamuffin closely, humming in thought. "Well, he _does_ seem worthy of your _cor_ -ny name choice."

                The darker-haired man laughed. "I thought it was _purr_ -fect, myself."

                Cor let out the most humanlike sigh a cat ever had. This whole conversation was pointless.

                "I'm Ignis."

                "Uh, what?"

                The words slipped out of the ex-Crownsguard's mouth before he realized it, or so Cor assumed. Ignis's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "My name. Sorry, I realized I hadn't introduced myself."

                "Oh. I'm Noctis." He smiled softly at Ignis. Though they didn't seem to remember each other, it was obvious to Cor they didn't want to leave each other. Ignis looked stumped, like he was searching Noct's face for an answer to some unspoken question, like a memory was _right there_ within reach but he couldn't grab it. 

                As happy as Cor was for Noctis to reunite with his oldest friend, he was growing steadily uncomfortable in the middle of… well, whatever weird romantic tension was going on between them. They _were_ out in the open on campus, and if they were going to be late for their morning class, Noctis wouldn't buy that ham and egg sandwich to share with Cor. He bit Noct's cheek.

                "Ow!" Noctis yanked his face away, though he was careful not to jostle Cor from his shoulder. "This little jerk is Cor, but… I literally just told you that. So, yeah."

                The two humans shared a flustered laugh.  

                "Anyway, I should, uh, let you get to class, or whatever," Noct said. It was hard to believe the bumbling brat he was sitting on was once the brave and noble Dawn King. "Thanks again for not calling campus security on my cat."

                "Not at all. It was a pleasure to make both of your acquaintance. I wish you both luck in your studies."

                "Ha, right. Thanks, Ignis."

                "I hope to see you again, Noctis."

                There was one more lingering smile, achingly tender and soft even to Cor the Immortal Bachelor, but Noctis was finally able to force himself to wave and turn away.  He was still distracted, glancing quickly over his shoulder and not seeming to care that his illegal pet was still in plain sight of at least one campus security guard. Cor himself was worried Noctis was going to walk into the wrong classroom or even a tree, so he was reluctant to get back in the bag and out of reach of Noct's cheek.

                "Crap," Noctis muttered a few steps down the path. "I should have gotten his number."

                If Noctis had looked at his cat, he would have been bewildered to see him literally roll his eyes. Cor considered his situation for a moment before scurrying back down the human's back, a little more careful about his tiny frame this time, and darting yet again in Ignis's direction.

                "Cor! Not again  ̶  What's gotten _into_ you?!"

                They'd probably get a ham and egg sandwich tomorrow, anyway. Ignis might even make him some gourmet cat food.

**Author's Note:**

> Noctis ended up giving all the ham of his ham and egg breakfast sandwich to Cor the next morning. And yes, culinary-arts-degree-seeking Ignis does make gourmet cat food. They probably end up having a schedule of hiding Cor in their rooms during dorm inspections.
> 
> My cat Daisy was actually passed from a dorm room of guys to a dorm room of girls then finally to my college professor dad, and i don't think anyone involved was caught by the school. She hasn't gotten out of the habit of peeing in the bathtub, but she is very happy in her forever home!


End file.
